Many a debate has raged over the years as to who is the greatest
boxing champion of all time. Would the toughness of Joe Louis have been
enough to help him survive the speed of Muhammad Ali? Would Rocky Marciano
have been able to get past Larry Holmes' jab to work the body as only "The
Rock" could?

I recall back in the seventies when some boffin actually programmed a
computer with the attributes of Muhammad Ali and Rocky Marciano. Not only
was their entire boxing history fed into this gigantic crate of electronic
gadgetry, but info was input concerning their diet, hobbies, likes and
dislikes... The computers version of the fight was then screened on TV to
the viewing millions. It was a total farce to watch. I think the outcome
was a draw. Huh, even the most accurate computer in the world couldn't
settle that one.

Two decades later and the disputation still rages. It seems that EA
Sports in their wisdom have ported this idea onto the Playstation which
should allow these questions to be put to rest once and for all (believe
that and you'll believe anything!). Each boxer's style, strength, weight,
height, speed, reach, stamina, ring savvy and experience are factored into
the artificial intelligence. One thing is for sure, boxing fanatics are
going to have a lot of fun pitting legends against one another in Knockout
Kings.

Ladies and Gentlemen. It's Showtime so let's get ready to rumble!

Genre

Featuring an impressive array of 38 famous boxers, Knockout Kings
'99 includes the exclusive rights for Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield,
Sugar Ray Leonard and Oscar De La Hoya. Fight enthusiasts can compete as
or against these legends as they vie for the championship belt in light,
middle and heavy-weight classes. In addition to these exclusive fighters,
other headliners include Lennox Lewis, Floyd Patterson, Sonny Liston, Ken
Norton, Roberto Duran, Leon Spinks, Larry Holmes and Marvin Hagler.

Graphics

After two bouts of JVC's Victory Boxing I was eager to witness how
those sporting giants of EA would pulverize their Japanese opponents. Of
course the contest would surely be a mismatch and a knockout blow was
expected in the first round. Well... not quite!

Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya and Shane Mosley worked closely with
EA Sports as consultants on the game to ensure the authenticity of the
fighting action. All three were motion captured as they executed hundreds
of moves that would be used in a real fight. The movements of the boxers
were then digitized into the game to bring the cyber boxers to life. For
example, Leonard's famous extended chin taunt and bolo punch and De La
Hoya's brutal left hook and lightning fast jabs are all in Knockout Kings.
Famous referee Mills Lane was the model for the game's official and before
each round begins you are treated to a selection of shapely bikini-clad
babes who you would think were modelled for motion capture by Lara Croft.

My first reaction to the graphics in Knockout Kings was that of slight
disappointment. We seem to have reached a crossroads in gaming and it is
becoming difficult to determine which road is the best to take. EA Sports
have gone for the really smooth, hi-res, 3D polygon appearance, similar to
that present in WWF Warzone. The fighters bare a striking resemblance to
their real-life counterparts but tend to look a little alien to the
environment, especially when moving against a harsher textured background,
such as the canvas. If you want real-life visuals then you virtually have
it here.

Don't get me wrong... it is the correct way forward and will eventually
lead to photo-realistic graphics... it's just that at this current stage
of transition I would prefer to see a little more exaggeration to my game
characters... real life is boring. I want my champion fighter to become
seven foot tall, muscles growing on his muscles, a fearsome character...
not a chunky Evander Holyfield that looks like some fat kid at school with
some fluff over his top lip. Many will disagree, but I prefer the graphics
in Victory Boxing 2.

Sounds and Effects

The sound effects are straight out of the top drawer. The atmosphere
is electric as the constant murmur of the crowd is suddenly ignited by a
bone crunching connection. Each blow to the fighters body is realistic
enough to take wind out of your sails, while a drop to the canvas sounds
like a six foot wall has fallen down.

The Knockout Kings music soundtrack plays a significant role in setting
the mood for the fight as each boxer comes into the ring to a selection
that reflects his personality, including hip-hop and rock. Old-time
fighters from the 40's and 50's have big band and swing music to reflect
the time period in which they competed. There's a little scratch music
between the action but the best sounds have been saved for the commentary.

The whole boxing match becomes an event as soon as Jimmy Lennon, Jr. does
the ring announcing, and Sean O'Grady and Al Albert provide accurate
play-by-play commentary. As the two fighters stare each other out before
the first bell referee Mills Lane offers his fight instructions and issues
warnings for foul punches. He won't be seen again until the fight is over
but his presence is surely felt. Throughout each boxing match your corner
can be heard barking out instructions such as "Watch out for those
uppercuts!" Unfortunately this advice usually arrives a split-second
after the blow has already scrambled your fighters brain, but acts as a
future warning.

Playability

There are three modes of playing Knockout Kings beginning with a
one, or two player Exhibition match. These particular bouts must be played
strictly by the rules. Should the referee catch you fouling then he will
warn you once. Further flouting of the regulations results in a deduction
of points and finally disqualification. This mode may be adjusted to
accommodate number of rounds, three knockdown rule, saved by the bell and
the option to speed the clock up.

One thing that Victory Boxing lacked was the opportunity to really let go
and enjoy a rough, tough scrap. Knockout Kings includes a Slugfest mode
where you can forget about weight, ref's and rules. Just select any two
boxers and go for it using your wide range of punches, taunts and illegal
blows.

Career mode is the real meat and two veg. Imagine being able to develope
your very own boxer and groom him through the ranks. Building him into a
champion fighter capable of the skill, speed, stamina and special moves to
make it to the top. He sets out at the bottom of the ladder but as he
wins, experience is gained. This provides the satisfaction and lastability
that keeps you playing Knockout Kings.

Creating a boxer requires you to follow a simple series of steps. Will
your champion be a boxer or slugger? Light, middle or heavyweight? Right
handed or southpaw? Adjust his height, weight, hairstyle, skin tone,
features, facial hair and kit design. With a little care you could
actually make him look similar to yourself. Scary.

Before each fight you must first decide on your next opponent who must be
within two ranking positions of yourself. It's then time to head off to
the gym to train hard for the battle ahead. The control pad is fairly
basic with face buttons providing body punches, uppercuts, left and right
hooks. Combinations of shoulder buttons accommodate high and low guard,
weaving, holding on for your life and a range of illegal shots including a
shove, taunt and kidney smash.

Controlling your fighter will seem strange to those brought up on a diet
of Tekken and Soul Blade. This is boxing therefore if you expect to pick
up the control pad and perform a ten move unblockable then you are going
to be disappointed. This is not martial arts, it is old school fighting.
You won't get very far by thrashing limbs in all directions as combos are
definitely out, but a jab.....jab, jab.....jab, punch is in.

Value for Money

You can recreate some of the ring's greatest battles, set up dream
bouts, or try to move up the ranks with a custom fighter that you create.
With 38 high profile boxers and three game modes K.O Kings proves a
knockout in terms of value but with a serious lack of challenge once at
the top it soon becomes a little repetitive.

I
found Knockout Kings to be a little sluggish and ran at a much slower
pace than Victory Boxing 2, especially when moving forward.

I also quickly discovered the best way to win each fight was to simply
connect with more punches that your opponent. This allowed me to become
an undefeated world champion within a few hours of play by moving in,
throwing a few hooks and then getting out before your opponent had time
to react. After a few mandatory defences I retired my boxer to more
pleasant pastures only to return for the occasional two player Slugfest.

Overall Knockout Kings will be a fairly good introduction to
Playstation gamers who cannot get their hands on the superior Victory
Boxing 2, but don't expect too much depth in gameplay.

I wonder if there's a combo that will allow you to bite Holyfields ear
off?